Improvement in gunpowder-engines



UNITED Srarns PATENT @FFroE.

JOSEPH s. FOSTER, or SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS IMPROVEMENT lNGUNPOWDER-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,095, dated January30, 1872; antedated January 14, 1872.

I, JOSEPH S. FOSTER, of Salem, in the county of Essex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improved Gunpowder-Engine, of which thefollowing is a specification:

This invention consists of an engine to be operated by the gasesproduced or liberated by the combustion of gunpowder or its constituentmaterials.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention, andFig. 2 is an end sectional view of the same.

The invention consists principally of two swinging arms or hammers, B B,a ratchet Wheel, J, a fly-wheel, E, and a cylinder-wheel, O. The armsare fastened to the top of the frame of the machine by the pin T, andhang one on each side of the ratchet-wheel, which is fastened to theshaft V, to which is attached the fly-wheelE. The pieces K K are placedone on each side of the ratchet-wheel, and have holes in the center,through which passes the shaft, and upon which they turn. The ends ofthe pieces extend beyond the circumference of the ratchet-wheel, and tothese ends are attached the dogs G G. The ends of the dogs are connectedto the arms by the connectingrods F F, one on the top and one on thebottom of the. ratchet-wheel. A line drawn from the two points to whichthe rods are attached to the arms passes through the center of theshaft. By this arrangement of connecting the arms to the shaft thearmsopen and close simultaneously, and operate to turn the shaft onlywhen opening, and slip roundthe ratchet-wheel when closing. Thecylinder-wheelO contains three cylinders or chambers, X X X, Fig.2, oneof which the ends of the hammers B B enter every time they cometogether. The shaft N of the cylinder wheel has three grooves runninglengthwise 'of the shaft and equidistant from each other. The collar Mcontains three straight grooves and three running spirally across,connecting the end of one groove with the opposite end of the next. Asmall spring keeps the spiral grooves of the collar in line with thegrooves of the shaft, except when pressed. The bolt L sliding upon therods S S has a boss upon the end, which fits into one of the grooves ofthe shaft N and keeps the cylinder-wheel in such a position that theends of the hammers enter one of the chambers. The bolt L also has asliding catch, V, upon its side, against which a projection on one ofthe hammers strikes. The hopper H, into which the cartridges are placed,leads into the tube D, which has a plunger connected to the bolt L. Thehammers B B have grooves, which slide on the guides A A. The lever B,when pressed, acts on the guides and holds the hammers in any desiredposition.

The action of the engine is as follows: A cartridge is placed in thechamber above the one in which are the hammers. The hammers are raisedby hand or otherwise. As they are raised the projection on one of themstrikes against the catch V in the bolt L and slides it along the rodsSS, the boss on the end of the bolt passing into the spiral grooveturning the cylinder-wheel, so that the next chamber is in position forthe hammers to enter. When the hammers are raised sufficiently theprojection slips from the catch on the bolt and the spiral spring 0throws the bolt back, the spring on the collar M allowing the bolt tofly back in the straight groove. As the bolt flies back the plunger inthe tube D throws a cartridge into the chamber. hen the hammers areallowed to drop they compress the air in the chamber sufiiciently toignite the powder. The explosion of the powder elevates the hammers,which, acting on the ratchet-wheel, turn the shaft V. The lower part ofthis cylinder-wheel revolves in the water-tank Y, which prevents allheating and extin guishes any fire which may remain in the chambers.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- The combination of thehammers B B, the

